“You’re supposed to play the play, not the situation, and what’s the point of seeing a runner on first base when you’re not tagging up a runner on third?”
It’s not enough to be a cuddly boss; you also need to be able to teach.
Ahn “Captain” Chi-hong is one such player in the Lotte Giants. His professionalism and sometimes stern demeanor make him stand out for his seriousness about baseball.
Senior Jeon Jun-woo is no longer the captain, but the most senior member of the team, and he looks up to the younger players. Free agents Noh Jin-hyuk and Yoo Kang-nam may lead from the dugout, but they’re not the type to dominate the locker room. It’s up to Ahn Chi-hong to set the tone for the team and give the younger players some advice.
On Nov. 11 against the Busan KIA Tigers, Ahn pounded out three hits, including a leadoff solo shot in the first inning, to lead the team to victory. It was his second home run in as many games.
Lotte is a relatively young and rookie-heavy team. Kim Min-seok and Yoon Dong-hee have already established themselves as the main outfielders, while Han Dong-hee, Go Seung-min, Choi Joon-yong, Son Seong-bin, and Lee Jung-geun are among the other youngsters in the outfield.
In particular, Kim Min-seok, dubbed the “resignation idol,” has been growing into a star in the league since his first year, starting the All-Star Game and winning performance awards. He is proving that his nickname, “Lee Jeong-hoo,” is more than just a floater.
But it’s been less than a year since he made the switch from infield to outfield. There are still some mistakes in his offense that are not easily noticed.
In particular, against Kiwoom on the 10th, he made his first error of the season, a huge mistake that drew a lot of attention. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Kim Yong-kyu flied out to center field.
Before the game, Kim Min-seok said, “It’s a mistake I shouldn’t make again. I wasn’t looking at the ball, I was looking at the first baseman, and I dropped the ball,” he explained. Since the first baseman hadn’t tagged up, he wanted to catch it quickly.
However, Ahn insisted that it was a meaningless action. “It’s not easy to catch a runner coming home,” he said.
“In baseball, you have to accurately judge the situation and act accordingly. There were a lot of runners on first base, and Kim Min-seok saw the runner as he came in (to catch the ball). But the third baseman isn’t tagging up and trying to get home, and if it’s just the first baseman, there’s no reason to rush. I told him to focus on catching the ball first.”메이저놀이터
The captain’s stern words paid off. Kim went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored to help the team win the game. Not only did he play solid defense, but he also showed his usual aggressiveness on the basepaths.